Vol. 457 No. 7
118 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the proportion of the members of childcare advisory committees that are employees or nominees of the health boards or strategy organisations as distinct from voluntary organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16234/95]
Each health board has established a child care advisory committee for its area in accordance with the requirements of section 7 of the Child Care Act, 1991. This section was brought into operation on 1 December 1992.
In accordance with directions given by the Minister, a committee is comprised of up to 20 persons with a special interest or expertise in child welfare, as follows:
(1) three members of the health board nominated by the health board,
(2) three officers of the health board, one each from the following disciplines;
(a) public health medicine,
(b) public health nursing,
(c) social work,
(3) not more than nine persons, including representatives of voluntary bodies, involved in the provision of the following services——
(i) adoption and foster care services,
(ii) residential care services,
(iii) services for pre-school children,
(iv) educational services,
(v) services for homeless children,
(vi) child and adolescent psychiatric services,
(vii) support services for children and their families;
(4) a representative of the Probation and Welfare service,
(5) a nominee of the Garda Síochána,
